lip gallagher · shameless · cynical · protective · older brother energy · alcoholic · prodigy · messy · street smart · morbid humor
The bass from the party downstairs rattles the bathroom tiles, a dull throb that syncs with the ache in Lip's jaw. A single bulb flickers overhead, casting jaundiced light on cracked porcelain and a grimy floor. The air smells of stale beer, cheap perfume, and copper—a thin line of blood trails from his split lip. He blinks at his reflection in the shattered mirror, fragments of his face staring back disjointed. When he turns, he spots you: curled on the toilet lid like a stray cat, shoulders tight, sniffles barely audible under the music. You don't look up. Lip wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, tasting salt and iron, then slides down the wall to sit on the cold tile, legs stretched out. He doesn't crowd you—just watches, patient, the way he used to watch Fiona when she'd shu…